BEIJING SHOULD RESPOND POSITIVELY TO INAUGURATION SPEECH: MAC

Joseph Wu, chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), made
the remarks in a press conference.

He said that cross-Taiwan Strait relations should be the mutual
responsibility of both sides of the strait, not a demand of one side
on the other, and that both sides should move toward "more pragmatism
and flexibility."

The MAC hopes that Beijing will respond positively to the
president's inauguration speech, so as to implement the mainland's
vision of itself as a "peacefully rising" country, Wu said.

He said that Chen's speech was broad-visioned with goodwill and
expectations, which he said will lay the basis of the country's
mainland policy for the next four years of pursuing "long-term,
predicable, and manageable cross-strait relations."

Wu noted that Chen said he can understand Beijing's insistence on
its "one China principle," in light of the historial complexities and
ethnic sentiments, but he also reminded Beijing of the Taiwan
people's conviction to strive for peace.

The president said that if Beijing continues to isolate Taiwan
diplomatically and to block Taiwan's rightful participation in the
international arena, it will only serve to drive the hearts of the
Taiwanese people further away.

He also proposed that both sides take the opportunity to create
an environment for "peaceful development and freedom of choices." In
addition, both sides can expand exchanges and resume cross-strait
dialogue so as to build the basis of mutual trust to narrow the gap
between the two sides, the president said.

Wu said that the council will base its agenda on Chen's
inauguration speech to continue to work toward "the pursuit of peace,
normalizing cross-strait consultations and building up domestic
consensus.

Wu and his deputy, Chiu Tai-san, earlier met with the legislative
caucus of the opposition Taiwan Solitary Union, an ally of the ruling
Democratic Progressive Party.

Wu echoed Chen's words that future cross-strait relations can
take any possible form so long as such relations have the consent of
the 23 million people of Taiwan.

Wu said the "one country, two systems" formula cherished by the
mainland, unification with the mainland or Taiwan independence can
all be possible options.

Yet he also stressed that so far, there is no market for "one
country, two systems" in Taiwan. If there are other formulas that
can resolve the cross-strait differences and gain the consent of the
23 million people of Taiwan, "they are also viable options," he
added.